Our first ride in the Porsche 918 Spyder

Ollie Marriage meets one of the most exciting cars of the year: Porsche’s brand new hybrid

So, with - as Walliser knows off the top of his head - 367 days until it goes on sale, what's the 918 Spyder like? Three main things strike you: firstly, how much acceleration the electric motors alone are capable of delivering. Secondly, how shockingly loud the V8 is after the electric silence, and finally the ridiculous cornering grip and how tight a line it can hold.

This is very much a development car - one of the two performance prototypes (there are 20 others running around the world doing hot and cold weather testing, emissions and the like). inside is a profusion of wires and extra testing systems, and the initial impression is how low you sit in it.